site.btaRSV 421 Aids Spanish Antarctic Bases

The Bulgarian naval research vessel Sv. Sv. Kiril i Metodii (RSV 421) assisted the Spanish Antarctic bases "Juan Carlos I" on Livingston Island and Gabriel de Castilla on Deception Island by transporting the Spanish scientists and logisticians. On Sunday the ship took the second group of Spanish Antarctic scientists to the Gabriel de Castilla Base, located on Deception Island.

The Bulgarian team was welcomed by Angel Prado, commander of the Gabriel de Castilla Spanish base. He invited the Bulgarian researched at the base where the teams from both nationalities gathered.

Prado thanked the Bulgarian crew for the assistance provided on New Year's Eve to the distressed motorboat El Doblon and for the course made by RSV 421 to unload provisions and building materials for the Gabriel de Castilla Spanish polar base.

"We hope our cooperation in Antarctica will continue for many years to come. The more people we have here together, the better," added Commander Angel Prado.

Later, a team from the Royal Geographical Society of Spain, led by Spanish physicist and researcher Prof. Javier Cacho, inspected the abandoned whaling base on the island. They were accompanied by Bulgarian Ambassador to Argentina Stoyan Mihaylov and Admiral Prof. Boyan Mednikarov.

After the visit to the Gabriel de Castilla base, RSV 421 headed to the St. Kliment Ohridski Bulgarian base.

Yesterday, RSV 421 took the first group of Spanish scientists to the Juan Carlos I Spanish Antarctic Station, which is located on Livingston Island.

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During the 32nd Bulgarian expedition to Antarctica, which started on November 8, 2023, the Bulgarian News Agency (BTA) is publishing interviews with Antarctic researchers. The Bulgaria-Antarctica BTA's Log again provides coverage of the voyage of the Sv. Sv. Kiril i Metodii to Antarctica and back and its stay there, as it did during the 31st expedition between December 27, 2022 and May 2, 2023. Back then, only BTA had a correspondent, Daily News Editor Konstantin Karagyozov, who covered the 127-day expedition with text, video and photos during the entire voyage (including across the Atlantic in both directions) and throughout the stay in Antarctica. In June 2023, BTA published in Bulgarian and in English an issue of its LIK magazine "To Antarctica and Back under the Bulgarian Flag" dedicated to the historic expedition. 

Again, all of BTA's information on the Bulgarian scientific research in Antarctica and the support provided by the Bulgarian naval research vessel, as well as on the other activities at the Bulgarian Antarctic Base, will be available to all media outlets in Bulgarian and in English on BTA's website in the Bulgaria - Antarctica: BTA's Log section. 

BTA has a National Press Club on board the ship and is planning to open a National Press Club at the Bulgarian Antarctic Base on Livingston Island.